Classical music
may at times seem the province of, primarily, dead Europeans,
but Bargemusic’s holiday program flies in the face of such a
fallacy.
Yes, it’s an all-American program on both July 3 and July 4,
with at least one name that might raise eyebrows.
Not Brooklyn-born Aaron Copland, whose Sonata for Violin and
Piano is on the bill; and certainly not George Gershwin, whose
tragic death at age 38 robbed this country of one of its most
fertile musical minds.
In fact, the Gershwin selections – arrangements from the opera
"Porgy and Bess "by the great violinist Jascha Heifetz,
along with a rarely performed arrangement of Gershwin’s seminal
work, "Rhapsody in Blue," for solo piano – are enticing
in themselves.
But opening the concerts is the Sonata for Violin and Piano by
Keith Jarrett … yes, that Keith Jarrett. As violinist Mark
Peskanov, who programmed these concerts and will perform the
piece with pianist Steven Beck, says, "It’s a jazzy, wonderful-sounding
piece" by a composer for whom jazz is but one musical outlet.
Maybe Peskanov is trying to sell tickets, but he insists about
Jarrett that "if he wasn’t born in Brooklyn, he sure wished
he was."
Concertgoers on July 4 will receive a bonus (for $25 extra):
East River fireworks. As Bargemusic founder Olga Bloom says,
"The police explained that the fireworks will be right outside
our front door." Accordingly, the recital’s start time has
been moved up to 6:30 pm and the audience can linger on the barge
after the show to watch the fireworks.
Peskanov and Beck will perform Jarrett, Copland and Gershwin
on July 3 at 7:30 pm and July 4 at 6:30 pm at Bargemusic, on
Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn Heights. Tickets are $30 on
July 3 and $55 on July 4. For more information, call (718) 624-2083
or visit www.bargemusic.org.
ALL-AMERICAN
